India : Electric Cars Can Also Power Buildings When Parked, Researchers Say

It seems there is one more reason to get an electric car other than to protect the environment. According to researchers, vehicles running on electricity can also power buildings without suffering battery drain or degradation. The secret seems to rely on the creation of a smart grid, which involves regulating power output and consumption within a given ecosystem.

The findings are a result of a two-year research program by a team from the University of Warwick, with Dr. Kotub Uddin in the lead. According to the press release pertaining to the study, the so-called “Smart Grid” is calculated to draw just enough energy from the electric vehicles to power entire buildings without negatively impacting the batteries.

“These findings reinforce the attractiveness of vehicle-to-grid technologies to automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers: not only is vehicle-to-grid an effective solution for grid support – and subsequently a tidy revenue stream - but we have shown that there is a real possibility of extending the lifetime of traction batteries in tandem,” Dr. Uddin said about the research. “The results are also appealing to policy makers interested in grid decarbonisation.”